


Temps Perdu

by AnnaOnTheMoon



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 18:30:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12917721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaOnTheMoon/pseuds/AnnaOnTheMoon
Summary: Jenice convinces Beverly to take a chance with Jean-Luc.  Takes place during the Season One episode, We'll Always Have Paris.





	Temps Perdu

**Author's Note:**

> A/N I carry around an A6 notebook everywhere I go and I jot down ideas. This idea turned into me writing about half of this fic in my little notebook on a train to London. 
> 
> Bold text is from the script for the Episode, We’ll Always Have Paris. Title is by my husband, who isn’t allowed to read my work, but only knew I was writing a story related to the episode We’ll Always Have Paris.

Beverly watched as Jean-Luc shot a nervous glance in her direction when Jenice kissed his cheek before walking out of the office.  “ **She’s an old friend.”** Beverly tried to conceal her frown.  “ **I gathered that.”** Thoughts ran through Beverly’s head.  _Who is this woman? Why does she seem to be so familiar with Jean-Luc and yet I know nothing about her?  She must be from his past...but how far?  Before he met me?  Before Starfleet?  And if I can’t save Professor Manheim....will she want to stay on board? She’d have to at least until we could get her to a Starbase...I don’t know what to think._

Jean-Luc gave a curt nod and reminded Beverly they were having dinner together in his quarters that night before he left Sickbay and headed to his own quarters, lost in his thoughts.

Jenice was part of his past, part of his past that he really didn’t want to revisit anytime soon, but it looked like he had no choice.  He had heard of her marriage to the professor through his friend Louis, but he hadn’t given her much thought.  Jenice . The one who got away.  Or, more accurately, the one he left behind.  Jenice had been his mother’s nurse in her final days, and he had become close with her and things had been getting serious. So serious, he even had contemplated asking her to marry him after only four months together.  But he had been afraid of leaving Starfleet and losing his dreams, so he simply chose to stand her up when they were supposed to meet at the Cafe des Artistes in Paris.  He could have sent her a message to tell her he wasn’t going to make it, and he even could have put off leaving McKinley dock for a few hours to go see her in person...but he hadn’t.  He hadn’t expected to see her ever again.  He wasn’t even sure what he was going to tell Beverly.  The truth, obviously, but would Beverly see him in a negative light once she knew the truth? 

Over dinner that evening, Jean-Luc chose to tell Beverly everything.  He had dated Jenice around the same time that she and Jack had started dating, but had never  introduced her to his friends for reasons he wasn’t willing to think about at the time, and reasons he still wasn’t willing to think about. Namely, his feelings for Beverly that had started the minute he laid eyes on her and had never gone away.  Of course, he had never told Beverly about his feelings – how could he when she was first dating and then married to his best friend, and then after Jack passed away, it never felt like a good time.

“So, you just left her?”  Beverly shook her head.  “That doesn’t sound like the Jean-Luc I know and l....like.” 

“I hated myself for it.  I shouldn’t have allowed the ship to launch early.  I should have at least met Jenice or sent her a message to tell her I wouldn’t make it and I can’t tell you how guilty I felt over it for years after, but Beverly...I was scared, too.  Maman had just died, Father and Robert didn’t want me around...all I had was the _Stargazer_.  Jack, Walker, Gilaad, and you were my closest friends, and I couldn’t contemplate the life I might have led if I had met Jenice in Paris that day and gave in.” Jean-Luc took a long sip of his wine before continuing.  “And I was a fool.”

Beverly twirled her wine glass and watched the deep burgundy colour of the wine swirl in the bowl before responding.  “I suppose you have a chance, now.  You could talk to Jenice. Tell her what happened and how you felt.” 

“I could, but she’s married now.  What would it matter?” 

“Trust me, Jean-Luc, it matters.  I think she would appreciate hearing your reasons for standing her up...I know if I had been in her situation, I would want you to explain to me why you had left.  Even if fifteen years had passed.”  Jean-Luc met her steady gaze.  _Does this mean you want me to tell you how I feel about you? Oh, Beverly. I can’t.  I’m such a coward._   Instead of replying, he refilled his glass and went to refill hers.    “I better not, Jean-Luc.  I still have to get back to Sickbay and tend to Professor Manheim tonight. But thank you for dinner.  And while I’m in Sickbay with the professor, maybe you should talk to Jenice.”

“Perhaps.”

###

Jean-Luc’s chat with Jenice did not go as well as he had hoped.  She accepted his reasons, but then grilled him about Beverly. 

“You seem to be pretty cozy with your doctor.” 

“I’m not sure I know what you mean, Jenice.  Beverly is a friend.  An old friend.  I’ve known her as long as I’ve known you.  Slightly longer, perhaps.”

Jenice levelled a knowing look at Jean-Luc. “And there’s nothing between you two?”

“Er...”

“That’s what I thought. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to check on my husband.”

“Of course.”

Back in Sickbay, Beverly was being followed into her office by Counsellor Deanna Troi. Deanna placed a hand on Beverly’s arm. “Beverly, **are you alright?** ”

Beverly gave a short fake laugh. “ **Why wouldn’t I be?** **I've got one of the medical wonders of the galaxy dying in my sickbay.”**

 **“ That's not what I meant. “** Beverly glared at her friend. **“I don’t think I want to talk about what I think you mean.”** Deanna tried again. **“Captain Picard...”**

Beverly slammed her hands down on her desk. **“I can't compete with a ghost from his past. No one could.”**

**  
“She's not a ghost. She's here right now.”**

**“She may be in the here and now, but it's the ghost he sees.**  And I...I don’t even come close.”

“Beverly, don’t say that. You don’t know that.”

“Deanna, he was going to ask her to marry him.”  Deanna’s face registered shock.  Of course, she had known Jean-Luc had feelings for Jenice, but he hadn’t told her nearly a much as he seemed to have told Beverly.  “You know, Beverly...Jean-Luc must care about you to have told you everything.”

“Maybe.”  Jenice approached Beverly’s office. 

“Doctor? Could I speak with you?”

Deanna got up from the chair.  “I was just leaving.  We’ll talk some more later, Beverly.  Jenice, I want you to know if you need to talk to me, I’m here for you.  Beverly can contact me for you.”

“Thank you, Counsellor Troi.”

Beverly indicated for Jenice to take the vacated seat in front of her desk.  “What did you want to talk about?” 

Jenice started to speak, then noticed the nameplate on Beverly’s desk.  “Crusher?  Are you related to Jack Crusher?”

“Yes.  Jack Crusher is my late husband.”  Jenice looked down at her hands. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.  How long ago?”

“Oh, almost eleven years ago.”

“I see. And that’s when you started sleeping with Jean-Luc?”

Beverly’s mouth went dry and she gaped open-mouthed at the blonde woman sitting across from her. “Uhh....” was all she could manage.

“I can tell in the way he looks at you...he use to look at me like that.” Jenice reached across the desk and patted Beverly’s hand. “I’m just glad he found someone.” 

Beverly seemed to re-acquire the power of speech. “Jenice.  We’re not...that is, we aren’t...”

“Why not?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Is it?”

Beverly looked down at her desk. “Well....there’s Jack.”

Jenice patted Beverly’s hand once more. “He’s dead, dearie.  I know he was Jean-Luc’s best friend, but that shouldn’t matter.”

“He died under Jean-Luc’s command.”

“Ah.  And Jean-Luc is being noble and not pursuing you.”  Beverly smiled. “Something like that.”

“You really should do something about that.”

“Like what?”

Jenice thought for a moment . “Have you ever tried just kissing him?”

“Er...not in public.”

“Maybe you should.”

“No. I couldn’t.” 

Jenice smiled mischievously. “Just walk up to him and plant a smooch on him while he’s on that bridge of his.”

“Jenice, I know you haven’t seen Jean-Luc in almost twenty years, but he’s changed.”

“I know. He’s much more reserved than he used to be.  I suppose it had to catch up with him eventually.”  Jenice pursed her lips. “I still think you should kiss him.  If not on his Bridge, why not in here?”

Beverly grinned at the older woman. “I’ll...ah, consider it.”

###

Beverly wiped her sweaty palms against her legs as she walked into the conference room. Jean-Luc was at the head of the conference table with Will, Geordi, Data, Deanna, Worf, and Jenice.  They had left the seat to the left of Jean-Luc for her as usual. Beverly let out the breath she had been holding and breezed into the room.  Instead of heading to her seat, she walked over to Jean-Luc, turned his chair towards her and planted a kiss on his lips.

Jean-Luc’s eyes went wide Will Riker smiled, Worf and Geordi averted their eyes, and Jenice and Deanna exchanged a knowing look.

Before Beverly had a chance to pull away, Jean-Luc was deepening the kiss and had bright his hands to cup either side of her face.  Will cleared his throat and Jean-Luc came to his senses.  Reluctantly, he withdrew his hands, but not before caressing Beverly’s cheek.

Before he let her go he borught his lips close to her ears. “We’ll discuss this later,”  he whispered.  Beverly nodded and Jean-Luc kissed her cheek before she took her seat for the meeting to begin.

Neither Beverly or Jean-Luc were able to pay attention to the meeting.  The outcome was that Data would be returning down to the professor’s lab and would try to fix the time distortions that had been plaguing the sector.   They hoped that by shutting it down, the professor might recover. 

Beverly was monitoring the professor in sickbay while Data was down in the lab and to her emense surprise,  all of the professor’s vital signs became normal.  Jean-Luc offered to drop them off at a Starbase, but Professor Manheim was insistent they would return to his lab. 

Jean-Luc turned towards Jenice.  “I still owe you Paris.  Have Counsellor Troi bring you to Holodeck Three in twenty minutes.”  Jenice nodded and watched as Jean-Luc departed.  She turned to Deanna as soon as she saw Beverly leave the office. 

“Want to play matchmaker with me?” 

###

When Beverly entered the holodeck she gasped. The holodeck was set up to emulate a Parisian cafe overlooking the Eifel Tower.  Jean-Luc was sitting at a table overlooking the view, but stood up when he saw Beverly approach.  He took her hands in his . “Am I to assume that Jenice has sent you?”

“Hmm.  Her and Deanna.  They seemed to think...well, I can leave if you want and tell Jenice you’d rather see her.”  Jean-Luc gave her hands a squeeze and leaned in to kiss her cheek.  “No, I think I’d much prefer it if you stayed.”  Beverly smiled.  Jean-Luc drew Beverly into his arms and gave her a passionate kiss.  “I messed up once before when I was supposed to tell a woman how I felt in this cafe . I’m not going to make the same mistake twice.” Jean-Luc led Beverly over to the table where two champagne flutes were waiting and he passed her one of them. 

“Beverly,  I love you.” He tapped his glass to hers and Beverly offered a small smile. 

“Jean-Luc?”  he looked up. 

“Yes?”

“I love you, too.” 

 

 


End file.
